New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-10

c.satorpiece Of construction Ine Doorish ihah-
o.n. OF tho youthful hero have disturbed some
NIL .soued criti g. but since Sicqn1cd ia merely the
.hcs OF fate tho through which otdns designs
AZ. 10 be carried free from a influence from tho
nod and Is placed in mythical period wherein oven
tho notions gods stand the test OF the ear
iles forms OF historical morality tho objections To Sea'
fried on the that he abuses the man to whom he
owed his life do not have much weight Mime WAS not
prompted by affection to bring tho here but by sef
interest much serious thing II Is that ScQri as
necoros antics carry him dangerously near the line OF
the ridiculous This Il criticism. In Iced which applies
10 several In The drama In tho fight between the
dragon AMI Siegfd the short step which is SAID TO lie
between the sublime and the ridiculous is surely taken
and requires great effort to remain In the profound
iy poecal Vi into which the scene Immediately pre-
pedng has lifted the fancy. Tho trial ia not 80 severe
In the first soene. where the marvellous vivaoity
and energy Of tho mnsic when Scig1ef speaks OF his
longngs and its broodng tenderness when he
speaks Of his parents chain tho attention so that one be-
comes Indifferent outward behavior 1t the impetu-
ous nature OF young the typical German with
his contempt for assimilation and hypocrisy, his rough
straightforward euergy. which is likely at any moment
TO crashing through the veneers OF social convcn
TONS that published In this music aud it Is as refresh
ing "a lusty breeze through pine forest Somebody
once described Hsydns music as "out-ioorsy nni the
designation Is inapt hut for music that red0ent
OF the forest that voices the roman,csm that turks IN
der guared and tangled boughs In hollow trees ana
haunted caves. we must 20 to "Seigfried'
We have got away from tho thread OF our story. and
must sacrifice OF the recital order to have time
space devote to OF the details OF Wagners
Norris necessary that We should recount all
the episodes OF play. Mime not rcmako Wofdns
magic sword. but Learns that 1t will again
became whole under the hands OF hero who knows no
fear The In which he learns this fact Is one OF
those which, in spite Of the sublime music which accom-
panies Wotn (who appears the character OF Wa"de
subjects tho patience OF the audience to severe test
Wotan enters Min,es smithy most nnweicome guest.
and there a dialogue OF the kind which wouid
bet have left the Morse epios from which IL
Is borrowed The two PROFOUND riddles to each other
q stake which Is nothing less than the head OF MIN
who Is called TO answer In tho answers contained
an epitOme Of the contents OF the preceding
dramas There profound beauties IN the sccne but
the strain which puts upon the is intense and
further curtaiimen,s would be communicable at per
fornances like where large pro orton OF tho
audience Is unfamiliar with the German language
Mysterousness and soiemnity depart with Wotan and
buoyant Ioyousness comes back with SicQrcd who now
himself undertakes the task Of forging new sword out
of the pieces of Nothing This he accomplishes while
Mime porfects a scheme to lead the here with his
magic sword 10 Fafner and have him XIII
the dragon Then when Sie0fried has taken tho
treasure he Mime will put him TO sleep with poisoned
broth and kill him with the sword rs he sleeps Tho
sougs Of Siegfed while he is at work have been heard
n, oar concert rooms but without their scenic
nspment they lose auch OF their power aud beauty
Wsgners musical realism quite "a vivid as his Sce c
though 1t pervaded with q spirit which frequehty'H
not always. It from the fault OF simple material
is im into which less deeply poetical composer
would fall this which marks tho elimination
and the end Of the first act VIII ie may hear the heav
ing of the bellows the blazing OF the fire. the blows on
the anvil tactusy made by the performer AMI adapted
to n thin which plays "A great part throughout the
score the cutting Of the files teeth i"to the hard metal
and the Kissing and splutierng which follow the inng
tng OF the hot blade in;o the water, these features
must yet be looked upon as only the dartings
and nasnings and eddyings on the surface OF
the symphonic stream that flows through the |
orchestra, and In its depths Is concernei with |
the fundamental things OF the drama Here S'eDr1ed
again, though he has become smith aud allied himself
with The musical figure which hitherto had belonged to
the Nibunes. has other strains In which to give out
the dauntless energy and the new hopes that fill him
while as he swings the reconstructed Nothing In the air
and feiches the anvil a blow that splits it from |
top TO bottom. the sword fanfare which appeared |
IN the score of "De Wakire" dismembered when |
Brlinnhade gathered up tho fragments OF the sword
after the battle the clouds. flashes forth In most
triumphant setting Each act of "Siegfried" has
prelude which prepares for tho scenes that are 10
follow and with wonderful potency conjures up the
mood that Is best adapted 10 receive them BEFORE tue
first act the rhythm OF the smhy which held the
ear prisoner Before the second 1t is the grotesque
picture in music Of the dragon Tho gigantic
steps OF the those familiar with tao score OF
Dss Rheingold" identify him at Onoe with the giants
who built Wahaa and took the Siblung hoard In pay
The fact is cited as a simple Instance OF WaRneTs
me hods and direct attention TO the fact that his pur
poses we're deeper than mere one-painting. After
scene OF no particular moment between the two Nib
lungs Aibrich aud Mime the most naveiy poetical and
lovely scene In the whole etralogy Is reached Se0ed
throws himself hock at the foot OF tree |
and listens to natures music In the forest
As excerpt for purposes the music OF portion
OF is familiar bnt those who saw II for the first
fine, as night Unjust have marveled ut the difference
In effect caused by the picture. Sf>aed Is brood
ing the mystery of his childhood ami lie voices his
thoughts in tender phrases while instruments
In the orchestra identify hoss with whom his mind Is
concerned. suddenly tho sunlight begins to flicker
along the leafy thousand indisnct voices are
heard I'm that indefnable yet musical hum OF which
heard In reality and not through the MUSICIANS
IL at loss 10 tell how much actual ana
how much the product OF imagination beth sense and
fancy having been niraculousy quckoned by the spirit
which moves through the trees At last all Is vocal
and SeQried himself susceptible to tho very
influence that have been attempting TO de-
scribe. finds himself longing TO understand
bird that sings overhead. Might he not II he |
could reproduce its soundsi He cuts a reed. |
fashions 1t into q Pipe and makes the experiment In
vain lie throws the reed away and essays merry time
On his hunting horn 1t Is his characteristic horn
call which lie expands into Joyous fanfare-the same
phrase which, given out with tremendous BREADTH forms
the climax Of his funeral march IN Die GOtterdanmer
ung" To this he adds the melody which, In Wotans |
farewell TO B7tnnhlde C Die Waknre y. Is prophetic
symbol OF the future heroic SieafrioL The rnelo- |
dous freshness and poetical ngcnnousness OF the |
scene not be described In words. "o
have forced by the attempt into bit of analysis
result which In nothing fatal TO tho aims OF critic
as In music We pass tie battle with the dragon.
which lin spite OF the excellence OF the machine at tho
Metropolitan Opera House, Is only diverting and not at
all impressive In place OF the roasting heart Wagner
has merely stream of blood which supposed to follow
the withdrawal Of the from tho monsters body.
drop falls upon Sfegfrieds finger and burns him. lie
applies the spot TO his lips and suddenly tho
piping Of tho forest bird is changed into human
song The melodious phrases that played through tho
forest retalnel but they ciyen